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Showing posts with the label vacation

Vienna Diary

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Vienna is popular for many reasons: it's been ranked as the world’s most liveable city several times, it’s home to the oldest zoo (Schönbrunn) and ferris wheel, plus it’s Austria’s capital. But what really got me enthused was that it’s also known for its cafes. Coffee in Vienna definitely lived up to its reputation, and it ticked another box from my invisible list.  The train station was five minutes on foot from Haus Wasserzeile. Our landlady had two adorable dogs, and I got to meet both, which made my stay all the more wonderful.  A specialty of Haus Wasserzeile was that residents had their breakfast together at a large table. Chatting with fellow guests, who also happened to be from outside Austria, made mornings more animated.  Vienna was more lively compared to Salzburg and Innsbruck, with restaurant hunting becoming a lot easier, and street performers adorning pathways. The four days we spent there went by quickly, and soon enough we were back in Riyadh.

Innsbruck Diary

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After our Salzburg tour, it was time for our next journey, The dazzling photos I had seen online of the picturesque little city made me eager to visit Innsbruck. Snow capped mountains were prominent in every snap, and towered above. Our ride from Salzburg to our destination was heavenly. Views of meadows, farmhouses and towns outside the train windows made the time fly by. Soon enough, we were at our stop. From the Innsbruck railway station, we caught our bus. Like in Salzburg, our hotel here was also away from the city. What made it more interesting was that it was located 2000 metres above sea level. We were to get off at Kühtai, and the bus ride there gave us a glimpse of dreamy, serene Innsbruck. My feet were itching to get off and take in the riveting scenery myself, instead of how I had been doing for too long- through a computer screen. Bus travel between Kühtai and Innsbruck had a benefit-  guests had free access to the bus pass. The next morning, we

Salzburg Diary

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After a five hour train journey with a train change in Munich, we arrived in Salzburg. We had our eyes glued to the window through the entire bus ride, taking in the sights of the quaint city and the tall, rocky Alps. Mom was especially ecstatic about the the tiny shops selling a variety of things. Our lodging was a little far from the hubbub of Salzburg. We got off at our stop, and then it was a short walk to the Boutique-Hotel, Essigmanngut. The view that met our eyes was incredible. It was the kind of thing I had only gotten to see in movies; large green, rolling meadows framed by the ranges, old-fashioned houses with sloping roofs, and no one around for miles. It was a windy day, and the trees were swaying with sunlight filtering through their branches. We had never seen a place so serene. We did face one issue however- it was difficult to locate restaurants nearby. It took us a while before we finally identified a group of them, hidden away from the main street.

Bye Bye, School

Phew! Class 12 exams are finally over, and I'm done with my schooling. The past few months have been nothing but hectic. Now, I can release that breath I've been holding. The day after the last exam, we arrived in Heidelberg, Germany. We had lunch at the Vietnamese restaurant we’re extremely fond of, but discovered that the previous chef had left, so the food wasn't as tasteful as it used to be. Later, Dad left to attend an SAP event where he was to receive an award, while Mom and I went for a walk and made sure to visit the bridge monkey. We aren't the superstitious type, but that doesn't mean we're ready to take a risk. It was a cold, windy day and we ended up shuffling back to our hotel after a while, thinking about going out later. Despite the weather, I bought a gelato because nothing was going to stop me from getting one. The rest of the day was rainy, which left us disappointed. We watched raindrops hit the wet cobblestones mournfully from our

One year at GPS

Well, folks! I’m back in Riyadh! Tenth grade flew by very fast. I can hardly believe that another year is over. I just have two more years of school left. The one year I spent at Global Public School was fantastic. It was a complete change, which was something I hadn’t got a taste of in a long time. I made a lot of new friends, and went through new experiences. Initially, I was plenty nervous about the idea. It was one thing to change school in the same country, so moving to a new school in another country was, well, nerve-racking. Never mind the fact that I went to India for at least a vacation of two months every year; the only year I had actually studied there was second grade. The day before the beginning of the academic year, students were required to come to the school auditorium with their family, where there would be a welcoming session, and then proceed to their classrooms where instructions on dress code, behaviour and other concerns would be given. My grandp

New Year Resolutions

Well folks! 2016 is nearly over! Now’s the time everyone has started making their resolutions. I’ve never made a resolution in my life, probably because I know I’ll never keep it.  Besides, James Corden and Meghan Trainor sang pretty accurately- ‘’Resolutions are worthless, we all know that’s why we’re here/ I’ll be the same disappointment I’ve been for the past three years.’’  ‘’My resolutions for 2017, are to complete the resolutions of 2016, which I should have done in 2015 because I made a promise in 2014 and planned them in 2013’’ explains everyone who makes them in a jiffy. I haven’t been able to post much this year, since school kept me busy. I’m going to try to catch up next year. 2016 has already been labeled as a depressing year by the world. Hopefully, 2017 will be better. DPS published its magazine, and all three of the articles I had given made it! Ironically, one of the articles is on blogging where I made a reference to be regular. It’s so hard to

Herfy Café and Grill

Trying out new restaurants is a happiness my parents and I share together, and we found that there was a great one right under our noses. (There is absolutely nothing better than feeling the weight of a fork and a knife in my hands and thinking of all the good things to come). Herfy Café and Grill had its name written in Arabic, so it wasn’t something very noticeable. We’d drive right past without realizing how we had just missed something that was built for the growth of mankind. It’s a cozy little restaurant, more different from the rest in terms of seating because the chairs are more like couches and a lot more comfier.­­ ­­ I ordered a Herfy chicken cordon bleu (absolutely delicious) with pasta as a side dish. The breakfast menu also seems interesting, which means I’M COMING BACK! It’s something we would definitely like to come back to and try again, and I would recommend it to food lovers like me (Welcome to the club, y’all). After a food-filled week in Riy

Pooja holidays

Just two more months and then we can say ‘adieu’ to 2016! It’s crazy how fast the year went. I can’t believe how so much happened in 2016. School kept me busy most part of the year. Finally it was time for SA-1 exams, which marked the ending of the first semester. The minute I reached home after the last exam, I took my laptop and crawled into bed and spent hours on the Internet, before catching up on much-needed sleep. I’m currently spending the Pooja holidays, which began on the next day after the exam and continue till Thursday, in Riyadh. It feels great to be back. I’ve already decided all the restaurants I need to go to because I miss most of my favorite ones like TGI Friday’s, Buffaloes, and Portuguese Grill. Plus the one at IKEA, they have amazing meatballs. Mom and I went to  Barbecue Nation along with Kunjunni, Kunjichechi, Valyamma and Valyachan. The food really was incredible.   

Heidelberg Diary (Heidelberg Tagebuch)

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Oookayyy, it’s been a pretty long time since I have posted anything and sorry for that. 9 th grade has been taking control of my life so I have barely time to breathe.   Heidelberg looks straight out of a Disney movie. An old castle, river, vintage   bridge, scenic hills, churches,  paved streets - everything together added up to its beauty. I was pretty sure this was the ultimate place for all poets of the world.  We stayed at Goldener Falke . It was right in front of a square with several shops and cafés, and a fountain with a statue of Hercules on top. The hotel was interesting and cool. There was a majestic view of castle outside the window. After getting refreshed and having our breakfast, we set out to explore Heidelberg. Our hotel was very close to the Heidelberg castle. We could see the castle from anywhere. I soon noticed that we had no trouble finding our hotel and that it was in the perfect spot. Somehow we always wound up in front of it. We felt like Fe

German Diary (Deutsch Tagebuch)

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I put down my headphones and observed everyone around me. Mom was sleeping with her mouth open and Dad was nodding off.  I had just watched ‘Night of the Museum 3’ on the TV in front of me, and I gotta admit, it was kinda lame compared to the first two movies. As the plane touched down, I quickly put in my earplugs and felt the pressure on my ears. I looked out of the window and saw Germany’s surface. Mom, who was now awake (and had quickly closed her mouth) looked out with me. Dad’s project had won an award from SAP and the award ceremony was to take place at Walldorf .  So Mom and I came too and we decided to stay in Heidelberg for 5 days. As we neared the exit of Frankfurt airport, I saw someone holding my name. Boy, was I surprised! I mean I have seen plenty of people do that, but for me…… awesome! Germany was amazing; in fact it was beautiful. It’s like how you see in those movies; lush green trees on both sides and then later endless green fields stretching on a

Swimming at Al Manahil

Are you itching to turn on the AC? Do you need a break from the sun? Are you getting a tan INSIDE the house? Not to worry! Al Manahil Fitness centre is the place for YOU! Here we are provided with all facilities for those who wish to become thinner, lighter, muscular and healthier! And also, to break away from the heat and sweat, go for a jump, a dive and a swim in the pool. This is the place I went to yesterday since I was dying for a swim. The blue of the water blinded me and the place itself made me stand in awe. It’s a really lively place, only for women though. I usually go during the vacation. I learned swimming in the second grade and take every opportunity to swim. I had trouble swimming the first few laps, but after that, it was a breeze. In the shallow part of the pool, there was a swimming class going on for the little kids. Dad waited outside till we were done. I was starving, so we went to get a few bits to eat.  

Monsoon rains to blazing summer

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When I walked in through my front door, the first thing I got was some heat blasted into my face. It was hot summer in Riyadh and with no air conditioning for more than a month, well, you can imagine how an ice-cream feels while melting. For the first two days, I was in a wistful and empty-in-the-stomach-with-nothing-but-sadness-and-vacuum feeling in me. But that night we ate out at McDonalds for dinner and when I saw the Chicken Deluxe I got, somehow I started feeling happy. I don’t know how. We had a lot of fun in India. When Kunjunni came over, my, parents, Kunjunni and I would sit in the balcony with Dad and Mom on chairs and me and Kunjunni with our feet through the railing and ask GK questions- “How many years do you think took to build that apartment?” “I don’t know. Wait! I think I know. Probably 2.6 years.” “Your turn now.” “Ok, Gandhiji’s riding on a scooter towards west. To which direction will his hair blow?” “I don’t know. Backwards?””

Bahrain Diary (Part 2) - Tree of Life

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A group of women wearing short dresses got out of their car. The car’s tire had sunk in the sand, and refused to move.  Some men surrounded them, giving them smiles and offering their help to the girls. Their own car had got sunk in the sand, but they hardly paid any attention to it or the “ Tree of Life ”, now that they had something else better to look at …… . I gazed at the tree from a distance. This ancient tree was called the “ Tree of life ” as it had survived in the desert for 400 years without any known water source. When we were just about to reach, I had seen a tree next to the roadside but it was only my size and I had felt disgusted, since I thought that was the great ‘Tree of life’. But when the real tree appeared in sight, bigger than its imposter, my disgust turned into wonder and amazement. Many people, the newborn, the middle-aged and the old, were sitting on the tree happily and trying to climb it. Some branches of the tree touched the ground while the ot

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Dubai 1

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After watching fairy tales, we always expect Kings and Queens, Princesses and Princes to have long gowns that sweep the ground, glittering tiaras, crowns studded with jewels, and excessive amount of jewelry. Right? It may seem like I am lying, but believe me, I am telling the truth. I ACTUALLY HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE KING OF DUBAI, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM !!!!! A King or Queen is a normal person like us, except they are born famous; they rule a country and everyone knows them. They wear normal clothes just like us, according to their traditions. My parents, Kunjunni (also known as Rockstar Nara , Detective Nara etc..) Kunji chechi, and Valyamma were also there when we saw him. We were at Dubai Mall. Dad and Mom were sipping a cappuccino at the coffee shop while the rest of us went at the top of Burj Khalifa . The view was spectacular. We were “Aaah”ing and “Ooh”ing the whole time -while we waited in our group, in the fastest elev

Back from India...

Hey everybody! It’s me, Janaki. Whoops!  I am starting to sound like Mickey Mouse. You know, like how he says, “Hey everybody! It’s me, Mickey Mouse. Say, ya wanna see my club house?” And no matter how hard you scream “No!” he says, “Then let’s go to the club house. Oh, I forgot that we have to say the magic word. Misca Moosca Mouse ca doodles! Come on, say it with me” It’s pretty weird stuff, considering the fact that we have to say the words that make absolutely NO sense at all. I came back from India on the 11 th of August, with sadness and sleepiness, because we left home at 11 at night, so I had a quick nap in the car while going to the airport. So, I was pretty grumpy and sleepy when we reached the airport, for I had been having such a good dream. For a sec, I did not even care leaving India, which might have been a good thing because otherwise I would probably run screaming “I don’t want to go back!” to the car. But then, I remembered the fun I had all th

End of grade Six

Yaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!!!!! I am sooooo happy! SA-2 (Summative Assessment) has finally finished. Now, there are 2 weeks stretched in front of me which I am going to spend by watching TV, playing games on the computer, reading books etc.  And of course, no studies. I am going to be in 7 th grade and I already feel so grown up. I can still not believe how fast time flew. Today, my BFF Daniya is hosting a party and I am also invited. She has also invited my other 2 best friends, Anne and Chandana. Since Daniya is leaving Riyadh and going to India, this is  a goodbye  party. The 4 of us are best friends and we always stayed together as a group. I love them all so much  J .   Daniya said we could wear a traditional dress so I am going to wear my mango-colored latcha. Anne said she would wear her churidhar, and Chandana planned to wear her half-sari. On the first day of the holidays, we went to AppleBees for dinner. Yum! Just thinking of the food served there makes me h

It happens only in Kerala..

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Hello everyone, I am back! Did you miss me? I went to India for 3 months and had a blast with my cousins and friends. Since my cousins Kunjunni (also known as Rockstar Nara ) and Kunji chechi (sister of Rockstar Nara) lived nearby they came over every day! And guess what? I saw 6 movies which are Thattathin Marayathu , Ustad Hotel , Madagascar 3 , Batman -The Dark Knight rises , The Amazing Spiderman and Ice Age 4: Continental Drift . All 6 of them were superb, exciting and funny. We just arrived today from the “Land Of Coconuts” and we were exhausted. We had hardly slept for 4 hours because our flight was overnight. Our ears popped when the plane took off and landed and it hurt a lot too.  We had ordered 25 books from FlipKart and Valyamma had bought a few for me, so I spent most of the days reading. My cousins Savithri and Sanku came all the way from Alappuzha to Thrippunithura and stayed with us for some days and we brought the house down with our noise. It

Ready to go...

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More 4 days to go … and then I will be in India!!! I love when packing starts. I don’t like waiting at the airport though and the only ways to entertain myself at the airport are: Read a book Eat a sandwich and drink cappuccino             I am a great bookworm so I always pack a few books to read when I am feeling bored. In the aircraft I try to go to sleep but it is useless. We haven’t started packing till now but Mom has ironed our clothes and dusted the suitcase so it will be easier for us. We are mostly taking full-sleeve shirts and pants because in India there are mosquitoes. The only thing I hate is that I am mostly the target for mosquitoes and that really annoys me. L Kunjunni, Savitri, and Kunjichechi are just as excited as I am. Savitri lives in another city far away, so I wonder how many times I will see her.   Whenever I get good marks, Dad gives me some pocket money. But I don’t spend, I just save them in my purse.  So I am planning to spend the money in India a